What if you just trusted your gut?

In my latest "Designing Journeys" series, I introduce Miro Foltyn, a digital product designer originally from Slovakia, now thriving in Copenhagen. Miro journey to design was inspired by a childhood fascination with gaming magazine layouts and a pivotal decision to follow his passion. From experimenting with CorelDraw and Photoshop to his role at Hococo, Miro's story is a testament to the power of embracing our unique interests and the courage to pivot towards what truly excites us.

Mykolas - Please introduce yourself, Miro.

Miro - Hey, I am a digital product designer originally from Slovakia, based in Copenhagen for last 13 years????????, metalhead, cyclist, gamer, Danish pastry enthusiast.

Mykolas - What inspired you to pursue a career in design?

Miro - I have always appreciated good aesthetics since I was a little kid. I remember being fascinated by the layout designs in my favorite gaming magazine, especially one section they called 'Page 42.' It was some kind of a playground for graphic designers of that particular magazine, showcasing all sorts of gaming-themed creations. I started to play around with CorelDraw and Photoshop, casually trying to replicate those graphics, but nothing really serious, I was never envisioning it as a potential career.

So after some years later, moving to a new country and starting university in a totally different field, I got inspired by a friend, who was planning to start studies in design in Copenhagen. That reminded me of my old passion and somehow kickstarted the whole process. I reshuffled my priorities, quit the course I was at and applied for the same programme. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I found myself in design, specifically in designing user interfaces and I really do enjoy what I do today.

Mykolas - How would you describe your core values as a designer, and how do they guide your work?

Miro - Very simple - less is more. I know it might sound like a cliché, but I find it especially true in product design, where the complexity of what you're building can quickly bloat out of proportion. In every project, I aim to constrain myself with using limited amounts of font sizes, colors, paddings, etc., to maintain clarity in my designs. I would apply the same principle for the amount of features you are trying to build for your product.

Mykolas - What's one lesson you've learned about yourself through your journey in design that you wish you knew when you first started?

Miro - How to work with your ego as a creative: As a designer, your work is constantly under evaluation and it's not always positive. I used to get frustrated when I had to rework designs multiple times as a part of an iterative process, so I found it very helpful to learn how to receive negative feedback and turn it into understanding and learning rather than frustration.

Mykolas - Hococo is a SaaS for managing rental residential properties and nurturing tenant relationships. How does this type of product impact the rental industry, and is it a lesson in the importance of quality communication?

Miro - In general, the rental industry tends to be quite conservative and not very digitalised. We are trying to change that with providing a platform for both landlords and residents. There is a better way to communicate with your tenants than leaving a piece of paper on the building entrance door.

Speaking of communication: amidst the recent rise of loneliness worldwide, we've developed a new tool enabling residents to connect easily with each other in their neighborhoods. Think of it as Slack for your residential building. Since launching the feature, we've observed significant positive outcomes, with people forming chat groups based on shared interests and arranging meet-ups.

Mykolas - What is it like to be the only product designer in the company?

Miro - Before joining Hococo, I was always part of a team of designers that provided direct feedback, so this is a new and challenging experience for me. I see product design as a collective sport - the results are always better when problems are approached from multiple perspectives.

But because of that, being for everything alone, I became really engaged and it somehow revived my passion. I felt like I needed to know everything about product design, I am constantly reading up articles about various processes trying to optimize my workflows, saving inspiration for future projects etc. It has also allowed me to build confidence in my decisions and grow in my craft.

I also became way much more interested in the business side of the things - f.e. how can we bring more value to the customers through optimizing and scaling of our product, how well is the company performing financially or what we can do to increase our revenue with prioritizing certain features over others. Additionally, I've learned how to value the opinions of 'non-designers' within the company - my colleagues from different departments. Gathering their feedback has often provided perspectives I, as a designer, wouldn't have considered.

Mykolas - Do you have a favorite place in Copenhagen that you would like to recommend? Why?

Miro -I have many I could recommend, but I will sum it up with this - Copenhagen itself. I find this city extremely inspirational for a designer. Tons of amazing architecture, great design on every corner across different industries, lots of culture, music, art and interesting events. I feel like being surrounded by this makes me thrive creatively.

But if I had to point out one place, it would be Vega in the Vesterbro neighborhood of Copenhagen. It's an absolutely stunning concert venue with beautiful interior design and even better acoustics. I have tons of great memories of seeing amazing bands perform live there. I think it's a must-visit if you are interested in music or culture in general.

Mykolas - Design often involves dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty. How do you navigate these challenges and maintain your creative momentum?

Miro - I try to surround myself with inspiration, all the time. For example, my social media feed consists of 90% of works from other (usually much better) designers. I find it very motivating to see the work of more skilled people than myself, so I can aspire to do better too.

Also, if I ever get stuck on a seemingly unsolvable problem, I simply stand up from the desk, take a break and engage in any type of physical activity. Even going for an extended walk seems to work magic for me.

Mykolas - Are there any lessons or mistakes in your career that you believe others could learn from?

Miro - I would definitely recommend one thing - spending some time on side projects. During my studies, I would spend evenings designing for fun. I would just take designs I liked and try to recreate them in my own way. I started posting these concepts online, and after a while, I was offered my first full-time design job because an art director from one company noticed my work and really liked it. So it was definitely worth the extra time spent.

Also, another great recommendation: try to find a relevant part-time design job as soon as possible during your studies. I made the mistake of doing it quite late towards the end of my school, thinking the whole time that nobody would ever hire me. That is definitely not true; there are a ton of startups out there that will be very happy to have junior designers onboard to help. It is a great opportunity to network, learn and absorb as much knowledge as possible.

Mykolas - Are there any resources you'd like to share that have helped you as a senior product designer?

Miro - I find resources with libraries of shipped digital products very useful. I love seeing how different design teams approach the same problems and come up with a variety of solutions. Here are a few:

I would like to specifically highlight one resource:

Growth Design Case Studies. They offer case studies for the biggest digital products out there, such as Spotify, Airbnb, and Duolingo.

Recently, I also discovered the Deep Dive podcast. It features interviews with industry-leading product designers and is a great way to look under the hood and learn about the craft from the best. Deep Dive Podcast on Spotify

Would like to share something from your journey? Send me a message! Mykolas Petrusevi?ius

Find previous articles (Designing Journeys): https://www.dhirubhai.net/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7108136508741603328